Process Technology
MEMS Technology
Overview
Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
are Freescale’s enabling technology for
acceleration and pressure sensors. MEMS-
based sensor products provide an interface
that can sense, process and/or control the
surrounding environment.
Freescale’s MEMS-based sensors are a class
of devices that builds very small electrical and
mechanical components on a single chip.
MEMS-based sensors are a crucial component
in automotive electronics, medical equipment,
hard disk drives, computer peripherals,
wireless devices and smart portable
electronics such as cell phones and PDAs.
HARMEMS Technology
Freescale’s next-generation high aspect ratio
micro-electromechanical systems (HARMEMS)
is a proven technology for airbag sensing
applications. The accelerometers have an
advanced transducer design that enhances
Figure 1 needs
clarification
sensor offset performance. HARMEMS
technology provides over-damped mechanical
response and exceptional signal-to-noise ratio
to address customer requirements.
Since the airbag main ECU system is installed
in the vehicle cabin, over-damped HARMEMS
technology enables a high degree of immunity
to high-frequency, high-amplitude parasitic
vibrations. HARMEMS technology has also
been introduced in dual-axis accelerometers
used in electronic stability control (ESC) to
measure the lateral acceleration of the vehicle.
Target Applications
For automotive safety, acceleration sensors
provide crash detection for efficient deployment
of forward and side airbags as well as other
automotive safety devices. Accelerometers
are also used in electronic stability control
(ESC) to measure the lateral acceleration of
the vehicle to help drivers maintain control of
their vehicles during potentially unstable
driving conditions. Acceleration sensors are
also part of Freescale’s tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) to detect whether the car is
moving to save power, wheel speed and/or
direction of rotation.
In specialized health care monitoring
applications, pressure sensors provide key
patient diagnostics for patients. In cell
phones, MEMS products activate different
features by using more natural hand
movements of tilting rather than pushing
several buttons.
Freescale Semiconductor has been
developing MEMS-based sensors for almost
30 years. The process technology used to
manufacture the sensors can broadly
be grouped into bulk micromachining and
surface micromachining.
 MEMS Technology Progression
Freescale continues to leverage technology expertise in micromachining to provide more integration in embedded solutions
Technology Benefits
Freescale’s MEMS technology provides the
following advantages: cost efficiency, low
power, miniaturization, high performance and
integration. Functionality can be integrated on
the same silicon or in the same package,
which reduces the component count and
contributes to overall cost savings.
The two variations of integrated microsystems
include monolithic integration and system-in-a-
package. Monolithic integration involves the
inclusion of the MEMS device and the integrated
circuit on the same piece of silicon. System-
in-a-package includes the MEMS device and
the integrated circuit in the same package.
Bulk Micromachining
In bulk micromachining, the single crystal
silicon is etched to form three-dimensional
MEMS devices. This is a subtractive process
in which the silicon in the wafer is specifically
removed using anisotropic chemistries. Using
this bulk micromachining method, sensors
such as piezoresistive pressure sensors have
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© Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. 2009
Document Number: MEMSFS
Rev 3
been manufactured in high volume. Devices
are formed with single crystal silicon, which is
a very stable mechanical material.
In the simplest implementation, the silicon is
selectively etched in certain areas to form a
diaphragm. In an absolute pressure sensor,
the silicon wafer is then bonded with another
wafer (either of silicon or glass) to form a
vacuum-sealed cavity below the diaphragm.
The diaphragm then deflects in response to
the applied pressure.
The transduction mechanism that has been
widely used is the piezoresistive effect. In
piezoresistive materials, the change in the
stress causes a strain and a corresponding
change in the resistance. Thus, when
implanted piezoresistors are formed at the
maximum stress points of the diaphragm, the
deflection under the applied pressure causes
a change in the resistance. Typically, these
piezoresistors are formed as a bridge network
and the voltage applied between two
terminals causes an output voltage to be
measured between the other two terminals.
Learn More:
Surface Micromachining
In surface micromachining, the MEMS
sensors are formed on top of the wafer
using deposited thin film materials. These
deposited materials consist of structural
materials that are used in the formation of
the sensor device. Sacrificial layers are
deposited and then removed to form the
mechanical spaces or gaps between the
structural layers.
Many of the surface micromachined
sensors use the capacitive transduction
method to convert the input mechanical
signal to the equivalent electrical signal.
In the capacitive transduction method,
the sensor can be considered a
mechanical capacitor in which one of the
plates moves with respect to the applied
physical stimulus. This changes the
gap between the two electrodes with
a corresponding change in the
capacitance. This change in capacitance
is the electrical equivalent of the input
mechanical stimulus.
Freescale’s TPMS integrates a surface
micromachined, capacitive pressure
sensor (middle exposed package), an
8-bit MCU, an RF transmitter and an
XY-axis accelerometer (left exposed
package) all in a single SOIC.
For more information about
Freescale products, please visit
www.freescale.com/sensors.